In connection with the loading of bulk material onto a belt conveyor, it is customary in the art to let the bulk material simply drop onto the belt conveyor, so that this carries forward the material in its direction of travel. In certain cases, the bulk material has also been supplied to the belt conveyor with a horizontal component of motion, this being achieved by inclining the inlet opening, e.g. as disclosed in U.S. Pat. specification No. 2,988,202 to Fred A. Pampel et al. (granted 13th June 1961) or Swedish patent specification No. 303,715 to Sk.ang.nska Cement AB, Sweden (published 12th Dec. 1968). In connection with a desire to obtain a controlled feed of material, it has further been suggested in Swedish patent specification No. 362,856 to Carl Schenck Maschinenfabrik GmbH (publised 4th Apr. 1974) to rely on dosing wheels determining the rate of supply to the belt conveyor.